Lens mounting question.

[Phiily Manyaan]

Hi. I've been looking at the pics in the tutorials, but I can't see how the lens and lens holder are mounted. I know the holder fits over the LED star, is it held on with glue? Then, do you just glue the lens on top of it? Either way, does the lens go pointed side up or down? Thanks!

[BhujangiJedi]

The lens should be pointed side at the light source, wide side away from the light source. So - put the LED on the heatsink, then put the lens holder on the LED, then put the lens in the lens holder. The flat side of the lens should be flush with the top of the lens holder.

From reading the forums I gather many people glue the lens holder to the LED star. I'm using MHS parts and the heatsink & lens holder fit in so perfectly and snugly that I haven't bothered to glue them in place. It's a bit of a pain to screw the blade holder into place, but once it's all assembled the lens & lens holder aren't going anywhere - they are held snugly in place.

Also, that lets me be really cheap and use the same lens when I swap out my LEDs.

[ArkaiHalon]

Also, that lets me be really cheap and use the same lens when I swap out my LEDs.

Amen Brother

[Atomic]

I am building my first MHS and I used a little bit of hot glue at the points where the lens holder sits in the star, and glued it to the heatsink. The glue can be peeled off, but you may crush the holder (done it) in the process.

Go to any fabric store. They have mini glue guns for $2.50 and a bag of sticks for $1.50. Get the "hot" one for better bonding. The cool one is for fabrics.

[xwingband]

GLueing it doesn't help at all. The MHS is designed to be pressure fit.

[Novastar]

If at all possible, avoid hot glue in sabers--on ANY parts.

When and if you have to take that stuff apart... believe me, it's no fun--especially when people have used the stuff on wires. It's a bloody mess, and worse than "spaghetti" if you get my drift.

[Atomic]

I didn't realize the the LED assembly would stay in place during dueling from pressure alone, thanks for that.

In my build, I did use a little hot glue, but I built modular. The heatsink, LED assembly and resistor are one "peice", all connected via a QD. So I did use a little hot glue to keep the LED and wires from coming apart. They will of course, with a little PITA work, but the goal I had was to make a durable module I can one day swap to all my MHS sabers. I'm not going to gom unassociated bits together, just component groups. I'll post some pics whenever my wife gets our camera back

[B5813]

Here's a high tech trick I learned if you find that the lens/holder assembly moves around as your screwing down the emitter over it. Put your finger through the emitter and help hold it in place until the pressure of the emitter screwed down holds it tight.

[Jedi-Loreen]

It also helps if you make sure you get the LED star right in the middle of the heat sink.

If it goes off to one side, which it can, since there is some play at the screw slots on the star, you can have a devil of a time getting the blade holder on without crushing the lens holder.

Guess how I know this......

[Lord Dottore Matto]

I thought I was the only one who has done that! LOL